Whether you entered MU Hybrid Art House (opens in new tab) through the exhibition ‘Poetics of Prompting (opens in new tab)’, an exhibition about the relationship between humans and AI tools, via the extended reality experience by Polymorf (opens in new tab) exploring a hybrid future of nature, or through the entrance on Torenallee: visitors of all ages immersed themselves in the candy-pink Digital Transformation Lab to explore the future of culture. Here, we engaged them with dilemmas about the role of technology in culture and interviewed them briefly about cultural experiences in the future and the role of technology in them. By better understanding visitors' sentiments, DEN can better support and inspire the cultural sector.
The answers from visitors reveal a widely shared desire: technology may support, inspire, and enrich culture — but human creativity, physical experiences, and social connections remain essential and indispensable.
“I believe that AI will be fully integrated into our lives in the future, but people in 2040 will still need physical encounters. The physical environment will remain important — perhaps even more so than now. You can see this, for example, in the development of libraries, which increasingly take on the role of community centers. Other cultural spaces are also opening up as meeting places. AI can play a supportive role in this: in preparation, in guidance, but not as a replacement. I don’t see AI as a threat but as an added value. An accelerator that creates more time and attention for what is truly enjoyable and valuable.”
Due to the significant media attention around AI at that time, many participants mentioned the role of artificial intelligence (hereafter AI). Many participants see AI as a valuable tool to take over repetitive tasks, accelerate creative processes, and enable new forms of cultural expression. At the same time, there is caution: technology should not take control. Human creative autonomy must remain central in art and culture. This desire for control is also evident from one of the dilemmas presented: 74% prefer to manage their own cultural agenda rather than have an AI system schedule it based on their cultural preferences. Autonomy remains crucial, both for creators and visitors, even in a future full of smart assistants.
"There is a lot of creative effort around AI, but whether it will truly determine our agenda and experience, I doubt it. People want to feel like they are making their own choices, even if they are being guided. I think the real potential lies in creative applications — that's where innovation is happening now."
Technology can also be used to make art more interactive or personal. 80% of visitors do not want to merely ‘be part’ of AI-generated art in 2040 but want to create themselves using digital tools. Digital tools are seen as one of the means you can use to express yourself creatively, just as you would use a brush or pen.
"What I hope is that in the future, you can express your own ideas more in what you see. That you can let your own ideas influence art, actively enjoy it, and that it is interactive. That seems very enjoyable to me. But I also think that physically enjoying art should remain a part of it — it’s really about the combination."
The societal effects of technology and digitalization were also mentioned as a final theme. There is concern about risks such as increasing social inequality, loneliness, and the loss of physical meeting places. Climate change and other ethical issues were also discussed. A call was made to use technology to connect, not to alienate.
"What I believe the arts and culture sector will be incredibly important for in 2040 is connecting people — with each other and with new ideas. That is already essential now, but even more so in the future. In a world flooded with AI-generated content, which only makes everything vaguer and less personal, art and culture might be the last truly human anchor. Among all the noise and chaos, it’s precisely this that can keep us connected in the physical world. So that we can still manage to hold on together on this planet."
In short, technology should contribute to solutions and not become a problem. With the right application, technology can enrich art, make it more accessible, enhance experiences, and contribute to societal issues. “Imagining the future is the first step in shaping it,” said the introductory text upon entry. It is now up to the cultural sector to take the second step.
The interviews were partially transcribed using AI. All AI usage was subsequently reviewed and improved by a human.
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